KALAMAZOO — Damond Smith knew the moment he made it to the sidelines that he and teammate Doug Wiggins made a mistake they couldn’t take back.

Their argument had turned physical in front of 18,000 fans during Western Michigan University’s Oct. 2 home football game against Idaho.

“It was all bad,” Smith said of his initial thoughts as he left the field late in the first quarter. “ ... (But) it was blown out of proportion.”

He and Wiggins didn’t play again until the Broncos’ Oct. 16 loss at Notre Dame, missing most of two games, including a week’s banishment from the football facilities.

Both defensive backs earned their way back into the starting lineup for last Saturday’s 56-10 win at Akron. Smith, a sophomore cornerback, led WMU with eight tackles. Wiggins, a junior safety, was next in line with six.

“They’ve made an impact the whole year,” Broncos coach Bill Cubit said Monday night, the first time Wiggins and Smith were made available to the media since before the Idaho game. “It was an unfortunate incident and there are no excuses. We took care of what we needed to take care of. There was a lot that was put on them to get themselves back. They did it. They proved themselves to be good teammates.”

What still bothers Smith and Wiggins, though, is the perception of them that lingers, one that they say isn’t accurate.

Punches were never thrown. But a disagreement over a coverage assignment did escalate to the point they were grabbing each other’s face masks.

“Me and Doug are very close,” Smith said. “And the way people made it seem is that it was something different than what it was. He was getting on me. He’s a leader. I’m a leader on defense. You know, things happen out there. It’s intense. We’re going to go to war for each other, no doubt.”

Said Wiggins: “Just a little disagreement, that’s all. Brothers are going to fight. We’re a big family. It wasn’t even a fight. It was a disagreement. Things were said and blown out of proportion. But, you know, I’m happy to be back, he’s happy to be back and I’m happy that we’re winning games now.”

Smith and Wiggins figure to be a significant part of whatever WMU does from here on out. Even having missed seven quarters of football, Wiggins is fourth on the team in tackles with 33 and has two forced fumbles. Smith is eighth in tackles with 23, with one forced fumble.

Cubit said one positive from the time missed by two of the most experienced members of the Broncos’ defense is he now knows he can count on true freshmen Raheam Buxton and Demetrius Pettway, who “got valuable experience” in place of their veteran teammates. Cubit’s faith in the pair might alter who WMU signs in its next recruiting class.

For Wiggins and Smith, however, the time away was a reminder of how much life as a college football player means to them.

“Football is something we should never take for granted,” Smith said.

Added Wiggins, “What you miss when you’re away, we both have a passion for the game and we love the game. We leave sweat, blood, tears out on this field. For some of us, this is our lives. And just being back out there making an impact is a great thing, and that’s what we’re going to continue to try to do — play hard and play for each other and the whole team.”